Wordfence 7.8.0 is out! A huge thanks to our quality assurance team, our team of developers and our ops team for planning, implementing and releasing Wordfence 7.8.0. This release has several fixes to make Wordfence even more robust, and includes a fundamental change in the way our signup works.
Since our launch in 2012, the signup flow for Wordfence has not required you to leave your own WordPress installation and come to our website. We briefly required this, but removed it 10 days after launch.
Wordfence has grown to a community of over 4 million active websites and a very large number of paying customers. Wordfence is now downloaded over 30,000 times every day. Today we spend a huge amount of money on providing the services that our free and paid community needs to stay secure. Privacy laws have also changed profoundly since 2012.
Scaling up our operations has required us to get better at capacity planning, which means knowing how many installations we’re getting, how many are bots or spam, who is communicating with our servers during a scan, and whether it is a real website running Wordfence, a nulled plugin or someone simply using our resources to power something unrelated to Wordfence.
Privacy laws have also added the need for us to be able to communicate with our free customers to alert them to privacy policy and terms of use changes.
This has required us to adjust our signup flow to match other popular plugins out there, like Akismet. Many customers may find this is a clearer signup workflow because we no longer need to shoehorn a complex user experience into a set of modals on a site where we don’t control presentation.
This change will not disrupt any of our existing free or paid customers. If you have a free API key that Wordfence automatically fetched when you installed it, that key will remain valid and your site will continue uninterrupted. If you have a paid Wordfence API key, your key will continue to work without disruption. We are not requiring any existing customers to visit our site to install a new key.
The only users this affects are new free Wordfence installations. The installation process is quite simple. You install Wordfence and are directed to our site. You can choose a paid or free option. If you choose the paid option, you’ll go through our checkout process as usual. If you choose free, we’ll email you your key. The email includes a button that you can click to automatically take you back to your site where your key will be automatically installed. The email also includes your Wordfence key in case you need to manually install it.
A side benefit of this new process is that our free customers will now have a record of their API key in their email inbox for future reference.
We’re including the full changelog for Wordfence 7.8.0 below. You’ll notice that we’ve mentioned that additional WooCommerce support is on its way, so keep an eye out for that.
Thanks for choosing Wordfence!
Mark Maunder – Wordfence Founder & CEO.
Wordfence 7.8.0 Changelog
Change: Updated Wordfence registration workflow
For new installations of Wordfence, registering for a new license key now occurs on wordfence.com instead of within the plugin interface. Allows us to provide a more complete signup experience for our free and paid customers. Also allows us to do better capacity planning.
Improvement: Added feedback when login form is submitted with 2FA
When logging in with two-factor authentication, the “Log In” button is now disabled during processing, so that it is clear the button was clicked. Sometimes on slower sites, it was hard to tell whether the login was going through, leading users to click more than once.
Fix: Restored click support on login button when using 2FA with WooCommerce
Clicking the “Log In” button after entering a 2FA code on a WooCommerce site was no longer working, while pressing “Enter” still worked. Both methods now work as expected. Additional support for WooCommerce is coming in the near future.
Fix: Corrected display issue with reCAPTCHA score history graph
The reCAPTCHA score history graph was sometimes displayed larger than intended when switching tabs. It now has a set size, so that it does not become unusually large.
Fix: Prevented errors on PHP caused by corrupted login timestamps
One Wordfence user reported an error on PHP 8, and upon investigation, we found that a timestamp for some user records contained invalid data instead of the expected timestamp. We don’t expect this to occur on other sites, but in case another plugin had modified the value, we now check the value before formatting it as a timestamp.
Fix: Prevented deprecation notices on PHP 8.2 related to dynamic properties
Future versions of PHP will no longer allow use of variables on an object unless they are previously declared. This is still allowed even in PHP 8.2, but PHP 8.2 can log a warning about the upcoming change, so Wordfence has been updated to declare a few variables where necessary, before using them.
This article lists all the Windows 11 build numbers, Windows 11 version numbers, and release date details. The Windows 11 build numbers are frequently updated, and this article will also be updated frequently.
As per Microsoft, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence. Windows 11 feature updates will be released in the second half of the calendar year. The new updates will come with 24 months of support for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and Pro Education editions. For the Enterprise and Education editions, there are 36 months of support.
Microsoft has released two significant updates since the launch of Windows 11, namely 21H2 and 22H2. The newest version is 22H2, also referred to as the Windows 11 2022 update. Eligible devices should get the Windows 11 22H2 update via Windows Update.
Windows 11’s build number follows a standard format, which I will go into more detail about in one of the topics. If you’re seeking information on the Windows 11 version history, I’ve covered nearly all the updates in this article.
Windows 11 will be offered as a free upgrade to eligible Windows 10 devices using a phased and measured approach with a focus on quality. The latest version of Windows 11 is version 22H2, and the update is also offered to customers via Windows Update. Listed below are some guides that will help you upgrade to Windows 11 in production.
The build number shows the specific build of operating system that you are running. Every Windows operating system gets assigned with a unique build number. The build number of Windows 11 changes whenever there is a new version released.
For example, the Windows 11 versions 21H2 and 22H2 have the following build numbers.
Windows 11 Version 22H2 (original release) – The OS build number is 22621.
Windows 11 Version 21H2 (original release) – The OS build number is 22000.
There are many ways to find the build number of the Windows 11 OS, and this is the quickest method. Right-click on Start and select Run. In the Run box, type “winver” and press enter. This will bring up the About Windows pop-up, and here you can see the version and OS build of Windows 11.
For example, in the below screenshot, the “About Windows” shows Windows 11 version as 21H2 and OS build 22000.978. Click OK to close the window.
Windows 11 Versions | Windows 11 Build Numbers – About Windows 11
How to Find Windows 11 Version and Installed Edition
To find the Windows 11 version, build number and edition, perform these steps:
Click Start and type “About Your PC” in the search box and launch it.
On About your PC window, scroll-down and look for Windows Specifications.
Under Windows Specifications, you can find the Edition, Version, OS Build and installation date of Windows 11.
Windows 11 22H2 Build Number
Windows 11 Major Minor Build Rev Details
If you notice the Windows 11 build number, it is represented in a particular format. In this section, I will explain about the Windows 11 major, minor, build, and rev in a bit more detail. Let’s pick the Windows 11 22H2 build number 10.0.22621.521 as an example.
The build number of Windows 11 22H2 original release is 10.0.22621.521. The below table explains how a build number is composed of and the version details.
Name
Build Details
Major
10
Minor
0
Build
22621
Rev
521
Windows 11 Versions and Windows 11 Build Numbers Explained
Note: For every new version of Windows 11 released, the build number is incremented. This build number remains the same for that version however only the Rev value changes as the new updates released for that Windows 11 version. This means for Windows 11 22H2, the build number will remain the same which is “22621” whereas the Rev value is incremented with every update.
Windows 11 Servicing Timeline
Windows 11 will receive monthly quality updates, including security and non-security updates, and a yearly release of new versions. To continue receiving support from Microsoft, users should always install the most recent version before the current version is no longer supported.
Windows 11 Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise editions will have servicing timeline of 36 months from the release date. Whereas Windows 11 Pro, Home, Pro Education will have servicing timeline of 24 months from the actual release date.
The servicing timeline for Windows 11 version 22H2 is detailed below, along with the start and end dates for support.
Windows 11 22H2 Edition
Servicing Timeline
Date Available
Retirement Date
Windows 11 22H2 Enterprise Windows 11 22H2 Education Windows 11 22H2 IoT Enterprise
36 months from release date
Sep 20, 2022
Oct 14, 2025
Windows 11 22H2 Pro Windows 11 22H2 Pro Education Windows 11 22H2 Pro for Workstations Windows 11 22H2 Home
24 months from release date
Sep 20, 2022
Oct 8, 2024
Windows 11 22H2 Servicing Timeline
The servicing timeline for Windows 11 version 21H2 is detailed below, along with the start and end dates for support.
Windows 11 22H1 Edition
Servicing Timeline
Date Available
Retirement Date
Windows 11 21H2 Enterprise Windows 11 21H2 Education Windows 11 21H2 IoT Enterprise
36 months from release date
Oct 4, 2021
Oct 8, 2024
Windows 11 21H2 Pro Windows 11 21H2 Pro Education Windows 11 21H2 Pro for Workstations Windows 11 21H2 Home
24 months from release date
Oct 4, 2021
Oct 10, 2023
Windows 11 21H2 Servicing Timeline
Windows 11 Build Numbers and Windows 11 Versions
The below table lists the Windows 11 build numbers and Windows 11 version numbers (production release) along with the release dates. When new versions of Windows 11 are released, they are added to the table.
In this guide, I will show you how to deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM (ConfigMgr). We’ll get the latest version of the Dell SupportAssist tool, create an application in SCCM, and then deploy it to our computers.
According to Dell, the SupportAssist is an automated proactive and predictive support solution for computers and tablets. SupportAssist also evaluates the health of your servers, storage, and networking devices to eliminate downtime before it even starts.
When you purchase brand-new laptops and desktop computers from Dell, SupportAssist is already preinstalled. SupportAssist is installed on most Dell PCs with Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can find it by searching for “SupportAssist” in your Windows start menu. Home users can use the Dell SupportAssist tool to update drivers, including the system BIOS, and resolve problems.
Configuration Manager is the best choice for Dell SupportAssist deployment on multiple computers. You can deploy the Dell Support Assist to client computers and allows users to install it via Software Center. An added advantage of Dell SupportAssist deployment using SCCM is Dell provides .msi installer for application deployment for enterprises.
If you are using Configuration Manager to manage Dell laptops, you can use the application model to deploy Dell SupportAssist software to client computers using SCCM. The application can also be added to a task sequence, which lets you use the bare-metal deployment scenarios to install Dell SupportAssist on new laptops.
Let’s understand what exactly is the Dell SupportAssist tool and identify its features. The SupportAssist by Dell is the smart technology, available on your PC that will keep it running like new by removing viruses, detecting issues, optimizing settings and telling you when you need to make updates.
With SupportAssist tool, you can perform the following
Update your drivers and applications for peak PC performance
Remove virus and malware infested files before then can harm your system.
Scan your PCs hardware to find issues and deliver proactive and predictive support.
Clean files, tune performance, and adjust network settings to optimize speed, storage space and stability.
The Dell SupportAssist also has an OS Recovery environment that enables you to diagnose hardware issues, repair your computer, back up your files, or restore your computer to its factory state. The Dell Support Assist OS Recovery is only available on certain Dell laptops with a Microsoft Windows 10/11 operating system that was installed by Dell.
Download Dell SupportAssist MSI Installer
Dell provides the .msi installer for SupportAssist and the same installer can be used for deployment with SCCM. You can download the Dell SupportAssist .msi installer from the following direct download link. Note that this is an offline installer and will include all the installation files without having the system connect to internet to download further files.
Along with Dell SupportAssist msi installer, I recommend you to download a logo for the application. We will assign this logo to the Dell SupportAssist application in SCCM. Copy both the installer and logo to a separate folder on SCCM server or shared folder. We will reference the same folder when we create the Dell SupportAssist application in ConfigMgr.
Each MSI installer has a unique product code and this can be seen under the installer properties. Configuration Manager uses the product to detect if the Dell SupportAssist application already exists on system. If you are curious to know the detection method for Dell SupportAssist application, SCCM basically uses the MSI product code: {E0659C89-D276-4B77-A5EC-A8F2F042E78F} of the installer.
After you have created the Dell Support Assist application in SCCM, go to the Application deployment properties and switch to Detection Method tab. Here you can see the detection method used for Dell SupportAssist application. We see the MSI product code being used for the application detection.
Dell SupportAssist Detection Method
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
Let’s create a new application for the Dell SupportAssist in SCCM.
Launch the Configuration Manager console.
Go to Software Library > Overview > Application Management.
Right-click Applications and select Create Application.
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
On the General window, select Automatically detect information about this application from installation files. The application type should be Windows Installer (*.msi file) and specify the location of the Dell SupportAssist msi file. Click Next.
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
With MSI installers, the Configuration Manager can import information such as product code, install commands, uninstall commands, detection methods etc. In the below screenshot, we see the product information has been populated from Dell SupportAssist MSI installer and imported into SCCM.
Application name: Dell SupportAssist
Publisher:
Software version:
Deployment type name: Dell SupportAssist - Windows Installer (*.msi file)
Product Code: {E0659C89-D276-4B77-A5EC-A8F2F042E78F}
Installation behavior: Install for system
Content location: \\corpcm\Sources\Applications\SupportAssist\
Number of files: 2
Content files:
dellSA_logo.jpg
SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
In the General Information tab, enter the basic information about the Dell Support Assist application. For example, you can specify the application name, publisher details, software version etc. The details that you specify here will be displayed to users when the Dell SupportAssist application is selected in Software Center.
The Configuration Manager also populates the silent installation command for Dell SupportAssist from the .msi installer. You may modify the existing command and add additional parameters supported for .msi installation.
Silent Command Line for Dell SupportAssist installation = msiexec /i "SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi" /q
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
Review the Support Assist application settings on Summary window and click Next. On the Completion tab, click Close button to exit the create application wizard.
Create Dell SupportAssist Application in SCCM
This completes the steps to create application for Dell SupportAssist in SCCM. After this step, the application will appear in the Application node of Configuration Manager console.
Specify an Icon for Dell SupportAssist Application
Configuration Manager lets you specify a logo for Application via the Application Properties and this logo appears along with the application in Software Center. If you are looking to customize software center, use the following guide to customize software center appearance and branding. Assigning an application logo is not mandatory, but it helps users identify the application quickly in Software Center.
The newly created Dell SupportAssist application is located in Software Library\Overview\Application Management\Applications of Configuration Manager console. Right-click on Dell SupportAssist application and select Properties.
Specify an Icon for Dell SupportAssist Application
In the Application properties window, choose the Software Center tab. Click on Browse and select an icon for Dell SupportAssist and click Apply and OK.
Specify an Icon for Dell SupportAssist Application
Deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM | ConfigMgr
In this section, we will look at the steps to deploy the Dell SupportAssist using SCCM (ConfigMgr). The deploy software wizard contains steps where you can distribute the content to DP’s along with the application deployment.
When you perform Dell SupportAssist deployment using SCCM, you deploy it either to a device collection or user collection. Typically, applications are deployed to device collections, and we will use the same approach here. You can create device collections for Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers using the following guides.
Once the device collections are ready, you can deploy the application using the deploy software wizard. To deploy the Dell SupportAssist application, launch the Configuration Manager console. Navigate to Software Library\Overview\Application Management\Applications. Right-click Dell SupportAssist application and select Deploy.
Deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM
On the General page of Deploy Software Wizard, click Browse and select a device collection to which you want to deploy the Support Assist application. Click Next.
Deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM
On the Content page, click Add button and specify the distribution points to which you would like to distribute the Dell Support Assist application content. You may also select distribution point groups when you have numerous distribution points. Click Next to continue.
On the Scheduling tab, you can specify the schedule for the deployment. If you want to deploy the application as soon as possible, then don’t configure anything under Scheduling. Click Next.
Dell SupportAssist Deployment using SCCM
Specify the user experience settings for the application deployment. For user notifications, select the option “Display in Software Center and show all notifications“. Click Next to continue.
Deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM User Experience Settings
In the Alerts tab, click Next. Review all the Dell SupportAssist deployment settings on Summary tab and click Next. On the Completion window, click Close.
The Dell SupportAssist application is now distributed to the select distribution points and the client machines should now have the application listed in the Software Center. This completes the steps for Dell SupportAssist deployment with Configuration Manager.
Deploy Dell SupportAssist using SCCM Completion
Test Dell SupportAssist Deployment on Client Computers
After you have created the Dell SupportAssist application and deployed it to device collection, it’s time to test the deployment on devices. Log in to a client computer, and launch the Software center. Click on the Applications tab and select Dell SupportAssist application. To install the application, click the Install button.
Test Dell SupportAssist Deployment on Client Computers
The Dell Support Assist application is now downloaded from the local distribution point server for installation. The installation commands specified during the application creation are executed. You can monitor the application installation process by reviewing the AppEnforce.log located on the client computer.
To locate the AppEnforce.log file and other important files, refer to the SCCM Log files which contains all the log files for troubleshooting issues.
“Matched exit code 0 to a Success entry in the exit codes table” confirms that the Dell Support Assist application has been installed successfully on the computer. The uninstall command that we specified during application packaging should also work fine.
+++ Starting Install enforcement for App DT "Dell SupportAssist - Windows Installer (*.msi file)" ApplicationDeliveryType - ScopeId_67D9092A-81B2-464F-8F38-4D634303C416/DeploymentType_ccf9c1b2-8d31-4cab-87e9-56c700d64d52, Revision - 1, ContentPath - C:\Windows\ccmcache\2, Execution Context - System
Performing detection of app deployment type Dell SupportAssist - Windows Installer (*.msi file)(ScopeId_67D9092A-81B2-464F-8F38-4D634303C416/DeploymentType_ccf9c1b2-8d31-4cab-87e9-56c700d64d52, revision 1) for system.
Prepared working directory: C:\Windows\ccmcache\2
Found executable file msiexec with complete path C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe
Prepared command line: "C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe" /i "SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi" /q /qn
Valid MSI Package path = C:\Windows\ccmcache\2\SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi
Advertising MSI package [C:\Windows\ccmcache\2\SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi] to the system.
Executing Command line: "C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe" /i "SupportAssistx64-3.10.4.18.msi" /q /qn with user context
Working directory C:\Windows\ccmcache\2
Post install behavior is BasedOnExitCode AppEnforce
Waiting for process 3896 to finish. Timeout = 120 minutes
Process 3896 terminated with exitcode: 0
Looking for exit code 0 in exit codes table.
Matched exit code 0 to a Success entry in exit codes table
Test Dell SupportAssist Deployment on Client Computers
This article explains how you can disable Cortana in Windows 11 using different methods. You can disable the Cortana in Windows 11 or even uninstall it if you don’t use it.
Cortana in a cloud-based assistant by Microsoft that assists users with voice commands. Cortana in Windows has a chat-based UI that gives you the ability to interact using typed or spoken natural language queries.
In the latest update to Cortana in Windows, you can search for documents and compose quick emails. You can also invoke the app using the wake word “Cortana.” Cortana can also launch Alexa app on Windows 10 (if it’s already installed).
Note that you must sign in with your Microsoft account to use Cortana app. To learn about Cortana in detail, refer to the Microsoft documentation on Cortana.
Here are some of the things you can do with Cortana in Windows 11:
Calendar and Schedule Assistance – Check your calendar, know the meeting schedule etc.
Meeting Help – Join Teams meetings, find what’s the next meeting is and with whom, book a meeting with your colleague in the organization etc.
Find out about people in your organization – Cortana can help you learn about people in your organization
Make lists and set reminders and alarms – You can ask Cortana to create a new list or add something to a list you already have
Launch Apps – With voice commands, the Cortana can launch the apps installed on your Windows. For example, you can launch Word app, Calculator etc.
Get definitions and quick answers
Get weather and news updates – You can get the weather information and new updates using Cortana. This is very similar to news and interests widget that offers a quick overview of key headlines and weather information relevant to you.
Cortana App in Windows 11
Why Disable Cortana in Windows 11?
If Cortana is so useful, then why disable it? The answer is not all the Windows users like Cortana because it’s not accurate all the time and the app consumes a lot of system resources.
In addition, most users can simply work without using Cortana in daily routine. If you open Microsoft Store and read the Cortana app reviews, the users have expressed concerns about this app. The Cortana app in Microsoft Store has an overall rating of 1.8/5 which doesn’t seem good.
Plus Cortana collects your personal information, search history, email information and stores it on cloud which for some users is not ok.
In Windows 11, Cortana is still present, but it’s no longer part of the first boot experience. However, in Windows 11, you can turn off Cortana if you don’t like it or even uninstall it completely.
There are multiple ways to disable Cortana in Windows 11. This article covers different methods to temporarily or permanently disable Cortana as well as fully uninstall Cortana from Windows 11.
To summarize, we will use the following methods to disable the Cortana in Windows 11:
Using Windows 11 Settings
Using Task Manager in Windows 11
Disable Cortana using Group Policy
Use PowerShell commands to disable Cortana
Intune or Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Configuration Manager
Method 1 – Turn off Cortana from Windows 11 Settings
You can turn off the Cortana from Windows 11 settings with following steps. Click Start and launch the Windows 11 Settings app. You can use the shortcut command Win+I to directly launch the settings app.
From the list of settings, select Apps and then select Apps & Features.
Turn off Cortana from Windows 11 Settings
On the Apps & Features window, you should find all the apps installed on Windows 11. From the App list, search for Cortana app. Once the Cortana app appears in the listing, click on the vertical dots and select Advanced Options.
Turn off Cortana from Windows 11 Settings
The advanced options for Cortana displays additional settings to manage the app. Under Runs at log-in, turn off the Cortana. By moving the slider to off, you disable Cortana in Windows 11.
Note that the above step temporarily disables the Cortana app in Windows 11. The user can manually turn on the Cortana app whenever required.
Turn off Cortana from Windows 11 Settings
Method 2 – Disable Cortana using Task Manager on Windows 11
In Windows 11, you can quickly disable Cortana using the task manager:
On Windows 11, use the shortcut keys Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch the task manager.
When the task manager opens, click the Startup tab.
From the list of start up apps, click the Cortana app and select Disable button.
You may also right-click Cortana and choose the Disable option.
Disable Cortana using Task Manager on Windows 11
Method 3 – Disable the Cortana from Registry Editor
You can permanently disable Cortana in Windows 11 by editing the registry. Before you modify the registry, either create a system restore point or backup the entire registry.
Launch the Registry editor on Windows 11 by running the command regedit. Once the registry editor opens, go to the following registry path.
If you don’t find the Windows Search key, you must create a new key. Let’s start by creating a new key under Windows and name it as Windows Search.
Right click Windows Search key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 from Registry Editor
Enter the value name as AllowCortana and the value data is 0. By setting the AllowCortana value to 0, you disable Cortana in Windows 11. Click OK to save the changes.
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 from Registry Editor
After making the above changes to registry, restart Windows 11 PC. Log in to Windows 11 PC and launch the Cortana app. You should see the following message “Cortana is disabled. To use Cortana you need to get permission from your administrator“. This confirms the Cortana app is disabled on Windows 11.
Cortana is disabled
Method 4 – Disable Cortana using Group Policy (GPO)
You can disable Cortana permanently in Windows 11 using Group Policy. The Group Policy method is useful when you want to disable the Cortana access on domain joined Windows 11 PCs.
When you want to disable Cortana on multiple Windows 11 computers that are joined to an Active Directory domain, the group policy is the best option.
Before you create a GPO to disable Cortana, have few devices for testing purpose. It is not recommended deploying a GPO directly to production servers and workstations.
Let’s create a new GPO to disable Cortana in Windows 11. Log in to a domain controller or a member server installed with GPMC. Launch the Group Policy Management Tools from Server Manager > Tools.
Once the Group Policy Management console is launched, expand the domain and right-click Group Policy Objects and select New.
Note: We are going to create a new GPO which should then be linked to an OU later.
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 using Group Policy
Specify the GPO name as Disable Cortana or something similar and click OK.
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 using Group Policy
In the Group Policy Management editor, navigate to following settings Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
From the list of policy settings, right-click the setting named “Allow Cortana” and select Edit. The Allow Cortana policy settings include:
This policy setting specifies whether Cortana is allowed on the device.
If you enable or don’t configure this setting, Cortana will be allowed on the device. If you disable this setting, Cortana will be turned off.
When Cortana is off, users will still be able to use search to find things on the device.
Set Allow Cortana to Disabled. With the selected setting, you disable the Cortana on Windows 11. Click Apply and OK.
Disable Cortana in Windows 11 using Group Policy
After following the above steps, in the GPMC console, right-click the OU that you want to target the GPO and select Link an existing GPO and select the Disable Cortana GPO.
Once you have linked the GPO to a OU or to an entire domain, the computers will download the policy based on the Group Policy refresh interval. The Group Policy refresh interval for computers policy lets you specify how much the actual update interval varies.
The above PowerShell cmd uninstalls the Cortana from Windows 11 for all users.
Uninstall Cortana in Windows 11 using PowerShell
Note: You don’t have to reboot the computer after uninstalling Cortana.
Method 6 – Disable Cortana using Intune (MEM)
Using Intune, you can easily disable Cortana on Windows 11 managed PCs using Configuration Profiles. The Intune Catalog settings lets you define the settings to disable the Cortana access on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
Let’s see how to disable Cortana using Intune. First sign-in to the Intune Portal (Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center). Go to Devices > Windows > Configuration Profiles. Select Create Profile.
Disable Cortana using Intune – Create Configuration Profile
When you create a profile in Intune, you specify the Platform and Profile Type. In this example, select the Platform as Windows 10 and later and Profile Type as Settings Catalog. Click Create.
Disable Cortana using Intune – Create Configuration Profile
On Create Profile Basics tab in Intune portal, enter the name of the profile to “Disable Cortana Access” or “Turn off Cortana“. Enter a brief description about the profile and click Next.
Create Profile – Name
On the Configuration Settings tab, we will use settings catalog in Intune to define the settings to turn off Cortana. Select +Add Settings.
Create Profile – Configuration Settings
The Settings picker window gives you an option to search for the correct keywords or terms related to settings. Enter the search term as “Cortana” and click Search button.
From the list of search results, click the Experience category and now select the Setting name – Allow Cortana.
Settings Picker – Cortana Experience
Allow Cortana – Specifies whether Cortana is allowed on the device. If you enable or don’t configure this setting, Cortana is allowed on the device. If you disable this setting, Cortana is turned off. When Cortana is off, users will still be able to use search to find items on the device.
By default, the Allow Cortana setting is set to “Allow“. To disable the Cortana on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, set the Allow Cortana setting to “Block“. By setting the Allow Cortana to Block, you disable the Cortana on endpoints.
Click Next to continue.
Disable Cortana using Intune
On the Assignments tab, click Add Groups to include the group of devices on which you want to disable Cortana. Click Next to continue.
Turn Off Cortana Access – Assignments
Scope tags are optional, but you may define them if required. I am going to skip and click Next.
Turn Off Cortana Access – Scope Tags
On the Review + Create tab, take a final look at the settings that you defined so far. If it’s all good, click Create.
Turn Off Cortana Access – Review and Create
After you create the policy, a notification will appear automatically in the top right-hand corner with a message. Policy Created – “Disable Configure Access” created successfully. The policy is also shown in the Configuration profiles list along with other profiles.
After you deploy the policy, the assigned groups will receive the profile settings once the devices check-in with the Intune service.
To monitor the Intune policy assignment, from the list of Configuration Profiles, select the policy and here you can check the device and user check in status. If you click View Report, additional details are displayed.
Monitor Intune Policy Assignment
Once the devices receive the policy settings from Intune, log in to one of the devices and launch Cortana. Now you should see Cortana is disabled message. This confirms that you can disable the Cortana access using Intune on your Windows devices.
Cortana is disabled
How To Reinstall Cortana App in Windows 11
If you have uninstalled Cortana app from Windows 11 using any of the above methods and want to reinstall it, the process is simple.
To reinstall the Cortana app, launch the Microsoft Store app in Windows 11. Search for Cortana app in Microsoft Store and click Get. The latest Cortana app will be downloaded and installed on the Windows 11 PC.
How To Reinstall Cortana App in Windows 11
Conclusion
Disabling the Cortana from Windows 11 is optional. If you are not going to use Cortana app, you can easily disable it with any of the methods covered in this post.
Microsoft doesn’t want you to disable Cortana. You used to be able to turn off Cortana in Windows 10, but Microsoft removed that easy toggle switch in the Anniversary Update. But you can still disable Cortana via a registry hack or group policy setting. This transforms the Cortana box into a “Search Windows” tool for local application and file searches.
Cortana has become increasingly restrictive since Windows 10’s release. It was previously updated to ignore your default web browser. Cortana now always launches the Microsoft Edge browser and only uses Bing when you search. If that sounds like something you wouldn’t want to use, here’s how to turn it off.
Home Users: Disable Cortana via the Registry
If you have Windows 10 Home, you’ll have to edit the Windows Registry to make these changes. You can also do it this way if you have Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, but just feel more comfortable working in the Registry as opposed to Group Policy Editor. (If you have Pro or Enterprise, though, we recommend using the easier Group Policy Editor, as described in the next section.
Standard warning: Registry Editor is a powerful tool and misusing it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. This is a pretty simple hack and as long as you stick to the instructions, you shouldn’t have any problems. That said, if you’ve never worked with it before, consider reading about how to use the Registry Editor before you get started. And definitely back up the Registry (and your computer!) before making changes.
You should also make a System Restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install the Anniversary Update, but it couldn’t hurt to make one manually–that way, if something goes wrong, you can always roll back.
Then, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows+R on your keyboard, typing “regedit” into the box, and pressing Enter.
Navigate to the following key in the left sidebar:
If you don’t see a “Windows Search” key (folder) below the Windows folder, right-click the Windows folder and select New > Key. Name it “Windows Search”.
Right-click the “Windows Search” key (folder) in the left pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the value “AllowCortana”. Double-click it and set the value to “0”.
You can now close the registry editor. You’ll have to sign out and sign back in or restart your computer before the change takes effect.
To undo your change and restore Cortana in the future, you can just return here, locate the “AllowCortana” value, and delete it or set it to “1”.
Download Our One-Click Registry Hack
Rather than editing the registry yourself, you can download our Disable Cortana registry hack. Just open the downloaded .zip file, double-click the “Disable Cortana.reg” file, and agree to add the information to your registry. We’ve also included an “Enable Cortana.reg” file if you’d like to undo the change and re-enable Cortana later.
You’ll have to sign out and sign back in–or restart your computer–before the change will take effect.
These .reg files just change the same registry settings we outlined above. If you’d like to see what this or any other .reg file will do before you run it, you can right-click the file .reg and select “Edit” to open it in Notepad. You can easily make your own Registry hacks.
Pro and Enterprise Users: Disable Cortana via Group Policy
If you’re using Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, the easiest way to disable Cortana is by using the Local Group Policy Editor. It’s a pretty powerful tool, so if you’ve never used it before, it’s worth taking some time to learn what it can do. Also, if you’re on a company network, do everyone a favor and check with your admin first. If your work computer is part of a domain, it’s also likely that it’s part of a domain group policy that will supersede the local group policy, anyway.
You should also make a System Restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install the Anniversary Update, but it couldn’t hurt to make one manually–that way, if something goes wrong, you can always roll back.
First, launch the group policy editor by pressing Windows + R, typing “gpedit.msc” into the box, and pressing Enter.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
Locate the “Allow Cortana” setting in the right pane and double-click it.
Set the Allow Cortana option to “Disabled” and then click “OK”.
You can now close the group policy editor. You’ll have to sign out and sign back in–or restart your PC–for this change to take effect.
To re-enable Cortana, return here, double-click the “Enable Cortana” setting, and change it to “Not Configured” or “Enabled”.
By default, only members of the Domain Admins group have the remote RDP access to the Active Directory domain controllers‘ desktop. In this article we’ll show how to grant RDP access to domain controllers for non-admin user accounts without granting administrative privileges.
Many of you can quite reasonably ask: why would ordinary domain users should have access to the DC desktop? Indeed, in small or middle size infrastructures, when several administrators with the privileges of domain admins maintain them, you’ll hardly need this. In most cases, delegating some administrative permissions in Active Directory or using PowerShell Just Enough Administration (JEA) is sufficient.
However, in large corporate networks maintained by many administrators, it may become necessary to grant RDP access to the DC (usually to branch office DC’s or RODC) for different server admin groups, monitoring team, on-duty administrators, or other technical staffs. Also, from time to time some of the third-party services, not managed by the domain administrators, are deployed on the DC, and there’s a need to maintain these services.
Tip. Microsoft doesn’t recommend to install the Active Directory Domain Services and Remote Desktop Service role (terminal server) on a single server. If there is only one physical server, on which you want to deploy both DC and RDS, you’d better use virtualization, since Microsoft virtualization licensing policy allows you to run two virtual servers under the same Windows Server Standard license.
To Sign in Remotely, You Need the Rights to Sign in through Remote Desktop Services
After the server has been promoted to the domain controller, you cannot manage local users and groups from the Computer Management mmc snap-in. When you try to open Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) console, the following error appears:
The computer xxx is a domain controller. This snip-in cannot be used on a domain controller. Domain accounts are managed with the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
As you can see, there are no local groups on the domain controller. Instead of the local group Remote Desktop Users, the DC uses the built-in domain group Remote Desktop Users (located in the Builtin container). You can manage this group from the ADUC console or from the command prompt on the DC.
Display the members of the domain group Remote Desktop Users on the domain controller using the command:
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users"
As you can see, it is empty. Add a domain user it-pro to it (in our example, it-pro is a regular domain user without administrative privileges):
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" /add corp\it-pro
Make sure that the user is added to this group:
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users"
You can also verify that the user is now a member of the Remote Desktop Users domain group using the ADUC (dsa.msc) snap-in.
However, even after that, a user still cannot connect to the DC via Remote Desktop with the error:
To sign in remotely, you need the right to sign in through Remote Desktop Services. By default members of the Administrators group have this right. If the group you’re in does not have the right, or if the right has been removed from the Administrators group, you need to be granted the right manually.
Group Policy: Allow Log on through Remote Desktop Services
To allow a domain user or group a remote RDP connection to Windows, you must grant it the SeRemoteInteractiveLogonRight privileges. By default, only members of the Administrators group have this right. You can grant this permission using the Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services policy.
In Windows 2003 and older this policy is called Allow log on through terminal services.
To allow remote connection to the domain controllers for members of the Remote Desktop Users group you need to change the settings of this policy on your domain controller:
Launch the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc);
Go to the GPO section Computer Configuration -> Windows settings -> Security Settings -> Local policies -> User Rights Assignment;
Find the policy Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services;After the server is promoted to the DC, only the Administrators group (these are Domain Admins) remains in this local policy.
Edit the policy, add the domain group Remote Desktop Users (like this: domainname\Remote Desktop Users), or directly the domain user, or a group (domain\CA_Server_Admins) to it;
Note that the group that you added to the Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services policy should not be present in the “Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services” policy , because it has a higher priority (check the article Restricting Network Access under local accounts). In addition, if you are restricting the list of computers on which users can log on, you need to add the DC name to the properties of the AD account (LogonWorkstations user attribute).
Note. To allow a user to log on to the DC locally (via the server console), you must add the account or group to the policy “Allow log on locally”. By default, this permission is allowed for the following domain groups:
Backup Operators
Administrators
Print Operators
Server Operators
Account Operators
It is better to create a new security group in the domain, for example, AllowLogonDC and add user accounts to it that need remote access to the DC. If you want to allow access to all AD domain controllers at once, instead of editing of the Local Policy on each DC, it’s better to add a the user group to the Default Domain Controllers Policy using the GPMC.msc console (change the policy settings in the same section: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment -> Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services).
Warning. If you change the Default Domain Controllers Policy, don’t forget to add the domain/enterprise administrator groups to the policy Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services, otherwise they will lose remote access to the DCs.
Now the users (groups) you added to the policy will be able to connect to the AD domain controllers via RDP.
If you need to grant non-administrator users the permissions to start/stop certain services on a DC, use the following guide.
The Requested RDP Session Access is Denied
In some cases, when connecting via RDP to a domain controller, an error may appear:
The requested session access is denied.
If you are connecting to the DC under a non-admin user account, this could be due to two problems:
You are trying to connect to the server console (using the mstsc /admin mode). This connection mode is only allowed for administrators. Try to connect to the server using mstsc.exe client in normal RDP mode (without /admin option);
The server may already have two active RDP sessions (by default, you can’t use more than two simultaneously RDP sessions on Windows Server without RDS role). You cannot log off other users without administrator permissions. You need to wait for the administrators to release one of the sessions.
If you plan to keep your existing on-prem exchange server then it can be used / utilized as a SMTP Relay server. Else, if you plan to decommission the exchange server for good, you can utilize Office365 as a SMTP Relay server to relay the emails.
There are three ways to setup SMTP Relay in Office 365:
SMTP Auth client Submission
Direct Send
Office 365 SMTP Relay
I recommend using either Office 365 SMTP Relay method or Direct Send method to configure SMTP Relay in Office 365. Please refer to the section Direct Send vs Office 365 SMTP Relay which will help you decide which one to use for your organization.
Below are some suggestions which can help you choose between Office 365 SMTP Relay and Direct Send method.
📌 Direct Send Method does not work if you want to send the email to External recipients for example any Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail email address. Direct End method can send an email to External recipients if the External Organization is also using Office 365 to host the mailboxes.
📌If your requirement is to send emails to Internal and any External domain recipients then choose Office 365 SMTP Relay Method.
1.SMTP Auth client Submission Method
Below are the Pre-requisites for using SMTP Auth client submission method to configure SMTP relay in Office365:
A Licensed Office365 User Mailbox is required.
SMTP AUTH must be enabled for Mailbox which will be used to send the emails.
Device must support TLS 1.2 or above (Please check the vendor documentation to confirm this).
If your authentication policy disables basic authentication for SMTP, clients cannot use the SMTP AUTH protocol. Microsoft will disable Basic authentication for all new and existing tenants starting from 1st Oct 2022. Therefore, this is my least recommended option for configuration of SMTP relay in Office 365.
Direct Send vs Office 365 SMTP Relay
Direct Send method and Office 365 SMTP Relay method both use MX Endpoint of your domain to configure SMTP Relay. Both can be used when your environment has SMTP AUTH disabled.
Use Direct Send when you need to send messages to recipients in your own organization who have mailboxes in Office 365. Direct send will not work if you want to send email to External email address (Gmail, yahoo, hotmail etc.). However, If the external recipient mailboxes are also hosted on Office 365, it will work fine.
Direct Send does not require your device or application to have a static IP address to configure it. However, Static IP address is recommended so that an SPF record can be created for your domain. The SPF record helps avoid your messages being flagged as spam.
Direct Send and Office 365 Relay both does not require your device to Support TLS.
Source:Microsoft. How Direct Send Works ?
Featues
Direct Send
Office 365 SMTP Relay
Send to Internal Users
Yes
Yes
Send to External Users
No (Yes, for external recipients having Office365 Mailboxes)
Yes
Network Port Requirement
Port 25
Port 25
TLS Requirement
Optional
Optional
Requires Authentication
None
Device / Printer / Application must have Static IP address assigned.
2.Configure SMTP Relay in Office 365 using Direct Send method
In the previous section of this blog post, I have explianed the difference between Direct Send and Office 365 SMTP Relay method. If Direct Send meets your requirements and you do not have any requirements for sending an email to External recipients like Gmail, yahoo, hotmail etc. You can follow below steps to configure it.
1. Find MX Endpoint of your Domain
To find the MX Endpoint of your domain, You need to follow below steps:
Click on your organization domain name. For example: techpress.net.
Click on DNS records Tab.
You can find MX Endpoint on DNS records tab. Click on it to Open.
You will find the MX Endpoint under Points to address or value column. Click on it to copy it on a notepad.
The format of the MX Endpoint is yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Locate MX Endpoint of your domain from Microsoft 365 admin center
2. Find the Static IP Address of the Device or Application [Optional]
As Microsoft Recommends to use Static IP Address for Direct Send Method but its not mandatory. If your Device or Application is not using a static IP address, make sure you assign a static IP address and then note down the IP Address of the device on a notepad. We will add static IP address of the device in your domain’s SPF record.
3. Update SPF Record [Optional]
This is also an optional step but highly recommended by Microsoft. Updating SPF record with Static IP Address of your Device or Application will help to avoid your emails being marked as SPAM. SPF records identifies which servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of the your domain.
Example:
Device / Printer IP Address: 10.20.1.56
Currently configured SPF record: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
Add your Device / Application IP Address in the SPF record as below:
4. Configure your Device / Application for Direct Send SMTP Relay
Last and final step is to configure your Device / Application and add SMTP relay details so that Device / Application can send emails using the Direct Send SMTP Relay. In our Example, we will be using a Printer to configure Direct Send. Let’s see which SMTP settings needs to be configured on the Printer.
If you want to configure SMTP Relay for a device other than your printer, You can still use below SMTP details to configure it.
SMTP Server
Port
TLS
UserName
Password
MX Endpoint
For Example: <yourdomain>-<domain extension.mail.protection.outlook.com
25
Not Required (Recommendation is to enable if this option is available)
Any Email Address of your domain. This user does not require a mailbox. For example: myscanner@techpress.net
Not required (you can turn off SMTP Authentication)
Example:
I have captured a screenshot of one of my Printers to show you how to configure Direct Send. You can use the same settings to configure Direct Send on any other device as well. This screenshot is just for your reference:
Office 365 SMTP Relay Direct Send method Configuration on Konika Minolta printer
5. Create Bypass Spam Filtering Rule [Optional]
This step is optional and you do not need to create a bypass SPAM Filtering rule in Exchange Online. You have updated SPF record with your device IP address which should avoid the emails sent from your device to be marked as SPAM.
If your emails are still going into the SPAM folder. You can create a SPAM Bypass rule in office365 for the email ID which you have used to send the email from on the device.
Login to Exchange online management portal
Click on Mail flow -> Rule -> Create a Rule.
Create SPAM Bypass rule for the Device IP on Exchange Admin Center
3. Configure using Office 365 SMTP Relay Method
Source: Microsoft. Office 365 SMTP Relay Method – How it Works?
Direct Send method has limitations of sending the emails to external recipients. However, Office 365 SMTP Relay does not have that kind of limitation in place. You can use Office 365 SMTP Relay Method to send the email to any External recipient. Let’s check the steps to configure Office 365 Relay on your Device.
1. Find Public IP Address of the Device or Application
First thing you need to do is to find the public IP address of the Device or Application. If your device is not assigned with a Public IP and is using Dynamic IP address, Please update it to use Static IP Address. Copy the IP address in a notepad. We will need this IP Address while configuring a Connector in Exchange Online.
2. Create a Connector on Exchange Admin Center
Next step is to create a connector on Exchange Admin Center. Please follow below steps to create a connector:
On Add a Connector Page. Select Connection from Your organization’s email server and Connection to Office 365 and click on Next to proceed.
Create a new connector on Exchange Admin Center for configuration of SMTP Relay
Provide a Connector Name and Description. Click on Next to Proceed.
Provide a Name and Description of the Connector
On Authenticating sent email page. Select the option “By verifying that the IP address of the sending server matches one of the following addresses, which belongs exclusively to your organization“.
Add your Device / Application IP Addresses into the list. Add all Device’s IP addresses which you want to configure for Office 365 SMTP Relay. For example, In my organization I have 3 Printers which I want to configure for SMTP Relay. Therefore I have added the IP addresses of those 3 printers here.
Add Printer IP Addresses in Authenticating sent email
On Review connector page, you can review the connector configuration and click on Create connector to create this Connector.
Review Connector page on Exchange Admin Center
3. Update SPF Record
Now you need to update the SPF record and add all the Device IP’s in the SPF record which you added in the connector created on Exchange Admin Center.
Example:
Device / Printer IP Addresses: 10.1.20.122, 10.2.1.11 and 10.2.5.89.
Currently configured SPF record: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
Add your Device / Application IP Addresses in the SPF record as below:
Click on your organization domain name. For example: techpress.net.
Click on DNS records Tab.
You can find MX Endpoint on DNS records pag. Click on it to Open.
You will find the MX Record under Points to address or value column. Click on it to copy it on a notepad.
The format of the MX Endpoint is yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
Locate MX Endpoint of your domain from Microsoft 365 admin center
5. Configure your Device / Application for Office 365 SMTP Relay
Last and final step is to configure your Device / Application and add SMTP relay details so that Device / Application can send emails using the Office 365 SMTP Relay.
SMTP Server
Port
TLS
UserName
Password
MX Endpoint
For Example: <yourdomain>-<domain extension.mail.protection.outlook.com
25
Not Required (Recommendation is to enable if this option is available)
Any Email Address of your domain. This user does not require a mailbox. For example: myscanner@techpress.net
Not required (you can turn off SMTP Authentication)
6. Create SPAM Bypass rule [Optional]
Please refer to the section of Configuration of SMTP Relay using Direct Send method where the steps to create SPAM bypass rule is given. This is an optional troubleshooting step and can be used in case the emails are being marked as SPAM.
Troubleshooting Office 365 SMTP Relay
Now we have setup Office 365 SMTP Relay. In case of any issues in email delivery, you can use below steps to troubleshoot.
Check SMTP AUTH at organization level
You can use below command to check SMTP AUTH at organization level. As we are not using SMTP client submission method, SMTP AUTH should be disabled.
Get-CASMailbox "Sonia Neil " | fl SmtpClientAuthenticationDisabled
Copy
If you see the output of the command as SmtpClientAuthenticationDisabled: That means this setting is controlled by the corresponding SmtpClientAuthenticationDisabled parameter on the Set-TransportConfig cmdlet for the whole organization.
Test Port 25 using Telnet
If you are facing any issues in email delivery then you can verify if Port 25 is opened or blocked on the Firewall. If Port 25 is blocked then you may need to ask the Network admin to open it for the device IP which is sending emails. You can follow below steps to test Port 25 via Telnet.
Launch Command Prompt on a PC (IP of the PC should be in the same subnet as Device / Printer / Application)
Type Command telnet <MX EndPoint> 25 and press Enter.
(If telnet command is not recognized on the Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. The Please first Install Telnet Client by going to Start menu -> Type “Turn Windows featured on or off” and find Telnet Client, Select it and click OK).
Install Telnet Client on Windows
Once Telnet is installed on your Windows device. You can open a command prompt and type below command to test if Port 25 is opened or not.
Telnet <your MX endpoint> 25
Test Port 25 using Telnet
Once you enter on the above command, you should get a response from the server. Which means that Port 25 is opened.
Test Port 25 using Telnet
Send a Test email using Telnet
If you want to check the email delivery then you can use the Telnet command and send a test email. This test can confirm if there are any issues in email delivery. You can follow below steps to test a test email using telnet.
Login on a computer in the same subnet as the Device / Printer / Application.
Open Command prompt as administrator.
Type command Telnet <your MX endpoint> 25.
Send a Test email using Telnet
You will get a response back after press enter on the Telnet command. On Telnet Console Type below commands:
ehlo
mail from – Type from email address
rcpt to – Type recipient email address to send a test email.
If the recipient receives this test email then there is no issue witth email delivery.
ehlo
MAIL FROM:<myscanner@techpress.net>
250 2.1.0 Sender OK
RCPT TO:<internal email ID>
250 2.1.5 Recipient OK
DATA
354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
SUBJECT:Hello World
This is a test message
Thanks,
John A.
. <Dot to end the email>
Copy
Check if ISP Public IP Address is banned
When you are sending an email using Telnet and if you get a message saying that your sending IP is banned. Then you need to unblock / remove your IP from banned list so that Devices on your network can send email.
Check if ISP Public IP Address is banned using Telnet
To remove your ISP Public IP Address from banned list, you need to login on https://senders.office.com and type your email ID and ISP Public IP Address of your organization. Follow the instuctions on the site to get your IP De-listed. This may take from 30 minutes to couple of hours to unblock your IP.
After you get your IP De-listed from https://senders.office.com. Try to send an email using Telnet again. This time if your IP is successfully de-listed, the recipient should receive the email.
Check if ISP Public IP Address is banned using Telnet
Test email has been received successfully.
Test email received using Telnet
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
When you are sending an email using Telnet and if you get a message saying that service unavailable, Client host <your ISP Public IP address> blocked using Spamhaus. You need to visit the URL https://www.spamhaus.org/query/ip/<ISP Public IP Address> to get your IP De-listed.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
How to unblock your ISP Public IP on spamhaus.org
Please follow below steps to unblock your ISP Public IP from spamhaus.org.
Once you land on https://www.spamhaus.org/query/ip/<ISP Public IP Address> site. Click on Show details and then click on “I am running my own mail server“.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Select I am running my own mail server and clicon on Next steps.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Complete the form for unblocking your ISP Public IP. Provide a Name, Email Address and Provide details regarding the issue. Once you complete this form. click on Submit button.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Form has been submitted. You can now wait for email verification link from Spamhaus.org.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Below is the email I received to verify my email address. Click on the link in the email for Email Verification.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Delisting has been successful. You can now try to use Telnet to send a test email to confirm email delivery issue has been rectifed. You can also check the Device / Printer / application to confirm if its able to send the email now.
Delisting / Unblock of ISP Public IP on Spamhaus.org
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have seem how to setup SMTP Relay in Office 365. There are three ways to configure it. But the most recommended option is Office 365 SMTP Relay Method. Second best method is Direct Send method which can be used if you do not have the requirements to send the emails to External recipients like gmail, yahoo etc.
Third method which is least recommended is SMTP Auth Submisson method. As It requires a licensed mailbox and SMTP AUTH to be enabled for that mailbox. There is a cost associated with licensed mailbox and Microsoft does not recommend SMTP AUTH to be enabled.
We have also see the troubleshooting steps in case of email delivery issues. These troubleshooting steps helped me fixed issues while working on Office 365 relay for Multiple clients.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) – TLS protocol is used to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. SSL and TLS are both cryptographic protocols but because SSL protocols does not providers sufficient level of security compared to TLS, SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 have been deprecated. TLS 1.0 was released in 1999, TLS 1.1 was released in 2006, TLS 1.2 was released in 2008 and TLS 1.3 was released in 2018.
Most of the companies and Internet Browsers are now moving to TLS 1.2 which is having better security algorithms than TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. TLS is more secure than SSL. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple and Microsoft are all ending support for TLS 1.0/1.1 in 2020, so its better to plan ahead of time and test all the applications and create Policies to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on Windows devices.
If you are interested in learning more about these protocols, differences between these protocols and security improvements – you can check Protocols RFC’s (Request for Comments) at these links TLS1.0 RFC, TLS 1.1 RFC, TLS 1.2 RFC and TLS 1.3 RFC.
Create a GPO in Active Directory to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1
We will be creating a Group policy object in Active directory to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. You will need to create given registry keys and registry entries to control TLS protocols. Please find below steps to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on windows servers.
How to create a GPO in Active Directory to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1
Login on a domain controller as a domain administrator.
Open Group policy management console (Go to Start -> Run and type gpmc.msc and press Enter)
Expand Group Policy Objects Folder. Right-click on it and Select New.
Provide a Name of the GPO. For Example: Disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 Windows servers
Right click on the Group policy “Disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 Windows Servers” and click on Edit.
Go to Computer Configuration -> Preferences -> Windows settings -> Registry.
Right click on Registry -> click on New -> click on Registry Item.
In the next step, we will create registry keys and registry entries to Disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. Its recommended to disable SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 as well. Most of the newer Windows operating systems have TLS 1.2 enabled by default. However, If you want to control TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 then you can use the given registry keys for TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3.
After you click on Registry Item, A window will show where you can enter Information about the registry Item which you want to create. You need to provide below information about the registry Item:
Action: Select Update from the drop-down. Selecting Update will create the registry keys and registry entries if its not found on end users devices.
Hive: Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key Path: You can either browse to the registry path or provide a registry key to create / update.
Value Name: We will be creating two registry entries for each protocol. DisabledbyDefault and Enabled.
Value type: Select REG_DWORD.
Value type: Select 1 to Enable an 0 to disable.
Go through the process of creating an entry for each registry Item. Below screenshot shows that we have Disabled TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 protocols and Enabled TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3.
Once you create all the registry Items in the Group policy management console for Disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 Windows Servers GPO. You can link the GPO to the Organization Unit (OU) containing windows servers.
Please note that as this group policy object contains settings in Computer configuration which will target the Devices. A restart of the computer will be required so that registry entries can be created.
Disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using IIS Crypto Tool
If your windows servers are not domain joined or you do not want to create group policy object in Active directory to disable deprecated SSL and TLS protocols. You can download and Install IIS Crypto tool on Windows server and manually select the checkboxes to Disable / Enable SSL / TLS protocols.
Please follow below steps to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using IIS Crypto Tool:
Login on Windows Server using administrator credentials.
Uncheck SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 from Server Protocols.
Uncheck SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 from Client Protocols.
Reboot the server.
Repeat Steps 1 to 6 on each server where you want to disable deprecated SSL and TLS protocols.
Disable deprecated SSL and TLS protocols using IIS Crypto Tool
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have seen how to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on windows servers. Its highly recommended to disable SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 as well. Newer Windows server operting systems have TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 enabled but you can still control these protocols using the given registry keys.
If you have only couple of servers and you do not want to create the Active directory group policy or your windows servers are standalone servers and not domain joined. You can use IIS Crypto tool to disable deprecated SSL and TLS protocols.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) – TLS protocol is used to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. SSL and TLS are both cryptographic protocols but because SSL protocols does not providers sufficient level of security compared to TLS, SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 have been deprecated. TLS 1.0 was released in 1999, TLS 1.1 was released in 2006, TLS 1.2 was released in 2008 and TLS 1.3 was released in 2018.
Most of the companies and Internet Browsers are now moving to TLS 1.2 which is having better security algorithms than TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. TLS is more secure than SSL. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple and Microsoft are all ending support for TLS 1.0/1.1 in 2020, so its better to plan ahead of time and test all the applications and create Policies to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on Windows machines.
If you are interested in learning more about these protocols, differences between these protocols and security improvements – you can check Protocols RFC’s (Request for Comments) at these links TLS1.0 RFC, TLS 1.1 RFC, TLS 1.2 RFC and TLS 1.3 RFC.
Disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using Powershell
We can easily disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using Powershell. However its recommended to also disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0 as well. We will be using below powershell code to create registry keys and registry entries. Once the registry keys are created, a reboot of that device will be required to complete the change.
Please note below Powershell Code needs to be run as an administrator as it needs to perform changes in Windows registry.
To run Powershell code on Windows 11 computer. Please use below steps:
Login on a Windows 11 PC as administrator.
Open Powershell Console as an administrator.
Run below piece of powershell code to enable / disable SSL / TLS Protocols.
In this blog post, we have checked the powershell codes to disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. We have checked the Powershell code to enable TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3. Its highly recommended to disable old unsupported protocols to reduce the security risk on your computer.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) – TLS protocol is used to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. SSL and TLS are both cryptographic protocols but because SSL protocols does not providers sufficient level of security compared to TLS, SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 have been deprecated. TLS 1.0 was released in 1999, TLS 1.1 was released in 2006, TLS 1.2 was released in 2008 and TLS 1.3 was released in 2018.
Most of the companies and Internet Browsers are now moving to TLS 1.2 which is having better security algorithms than TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. TLS is more secure than SSL. Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple and Microsoft are all ending support for TLS 1.0/1.1 in 2020, so its better to plan ahead of time and test all the applications and create Policies to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 on Windows machines.
If you are interested in learning more about these protocols, differences between these protocols and security improvements – you can check Protocols RFC’s (Request for Comments) at these links TLS1.0 RFC, TLS 1.1 RFC, TLS 1.2 RFC and TLS 1.3 RFC.
Disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using Powershell
We can easily disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 using Powershell. However its recommended to also disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0 as well. We will be using below powershell code to create registry keys and registry entries. Once the registry keys are created, a reboot of that device will be required to complete the change.
Please note below Powershell Code needs to be run as an administrator as it needs to perform changes in Windows registry.
To run Powershell code on Windows 10 computer. Please use below steps:
Login on a Windows 10 PC as administrator.
Open Powershell Console as an administrator.
Run below piece of powershell code to enable / disable SSL / TLS Protocols.
In this blog post, we have checked the powershell codes to disable SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1. We have checked the Powershell code to enable TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3. It’s highly recommended to disable old unsupported protocols to reduce the security risk on your computer.
